Secret Service Under Scrutiny One Year After Trump Rally Shooting: New Reports Detail Failures, Reforms
Secret Service Under Scrutiny One Year After Trump Rally Shooting: New Reports Detail Failures, Reforms
WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign stop, the Secret Service continues to face intense scrutiny, with new reports revealing critical security lapses and ongoing questions about accountability and reform.
The July 13, 2024, incident saw 20-year-old Michael Thomas Crooks open fire from a nearby rooftop, killing one attendee, wounding two others, and grazing Trump’s ear before being neutralized by a Secret Service counter-sniper. The event, which deeply impacted the presidential race, has since become a turning point for the agency tasked with presidential protection.
Recent investigations from a Senate committee, a federal auditing agency, and the Secret Service itself have detailed systemic breakdowns. Key failures include an unguarded rooftop with a clear line of sight to Trump, fragmented communication between the Secret Service and local law enforcement, and a failure to adequately address known line-of-sight risks.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, in a report released this past Sunday, cited “multiple, unacceptable failures in the planning and execution” of the rally, including denials of requests for additional staff and resources. This contradicts earlier testimony from former Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle, who resigned last year.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, requested by Sen. Chuck Grassley, criticized the agency’s “siloed information sharing practices,” noting that senior officials knew of a specific threat to Trump days prior but failed to disseminate it to agents on the ground.
In response, Secret Service Director Sean Curran, appointed by Trump after the incident, stated the agency has undertaken significant reforms. An agency report issued Thursday detailed the implementation of 21 of 46 congressional recommendations, with others in progress. Reforms include a new Aviation Division for aerial operations, acquisition of armored ATVs and mobile command vehicles, and revised policies for coordinating with local law enforcement and addressing line-of-sight concerns.
Despite these efforts, questions persist regarding accountability. While former director Cheatle resigned, only six staffers have faced disciplinary action, with suspensions ranging from 10 to 42 days. Critics, including the Senate report, argue these penalties are insufficient given the severity of the failures. The identity and specific roles of those disciplined have not been released.
The motivations of the shooter, Michael Thomas Crooks, also remain largely a mystery, as he was killed on site and left no clear indication of his intentions. Experts and victims’ families continue to question why such clear security problems, like the open roof, were not addressed, emphasizing the need for full transparency and continued reform to prevent future incidents.
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